Harry Kane's Place Among England’s Top Scorers Excluding Penalties
Harry Kane holds the record as England’s all-time top scorer with 65 goals. He surpassed Wayne Rooney's previous mark after scoring a penalty against Italy in March 2023 during the Euro 2024 qualifiers. But when you remove penalties from the count, his ranking shifts on England’s all-time scorers list.
Kane Surpasses Rooney to Lead England’s Goal Charts
Kane passed Rooney, who scored 53 goals for England, reaching 65 in total. Yet, Kane’s tally includes 21 penalties out of those 65 goals, meaning he has 44 goals scored from open play.
Removing penalties reveals that Kane isn’t the highest scorer in terms of non-penalty goals for England. Let’s explore how he ranks among England’s best scorers without counting penalty goals.
England’s Top Scorers Without Penalties
A penalty kick generally has a high chance of being scored, rated at 0.76 expected goals (xG), so excluding them shows a different perspective on goal scoring ability.
- Bobby Charlton: 46 non-penalty goals - The Manchester United legend netted 49 goals for England, only three were penalties. Charlton stands as England’s top scorer excluding penalties and ranks third on the overall all-time scoring list.
- Wayne Rooney: 46 non-penalty goals - Rooney scored 53 goals in total, including seven penalties, tying him with Charlton for non-penalty goals. He is now second on England’s all-time list after Kane overtook him.
- Gary Lineker: 44 non-penalty goals - Lineker scored 48 goals for England, with four penalties included. This places him third for non-penalty goals and fourth overall in England’s scoring history.
- Harry Kane: 44 non-penalty goals - Matching Lineker’s number, Kane also has 44 goals excluding penalties. Despite this, he remains England’s leading scorer with 65 goals in total.
Even though Kane’s open-play goal count places him behind Charlton and Rooney, his overall tally makes him England’s record scorer. The Tottenham Hotspur striker’s goal-scoring prowess remains unmatched in recent times.
Kane’s achievement sets a high bar for future English players. His 65 goals show he is the man to beat for the upcoming generation, and it seems unlikely he will stop here.
